I had a terrific afternoon Sunday (April 18), joining in the Brusnwick Writers’ Forum meeting at Brunswick Community College in Bolivia.

The group — organized under the aegis of the Brunswick County Arts Council — drew more than 20 participants, with a long table devoted to showing off its members’ output.

I was there to offer hints on how writers could get coverage in the newapsper. Members also had a lively discussion of the revision and editing process, with a lot of terrific input from Susan Warren of Books ‘n’ Stuff in Southport. Not only does she run Brunswick County’s longest-lived bookstore (coming up on a quarter century in a year or two); she’s also a professional editor with wide experience. (Want to know more? Give Warren a call at the store, 457-9017.)

Ken Campbell did a terrific job of moderating. It took me until Sunday to figure out that he is the same person as K. Robert Campbell, who writes suspense thrillers starring lawyer-hero Cameron Scott: “The Fifth Category,”The Fourth Estate” and “The Third Degree,” all from Coastal Highlands Press. “I’m counting down,” Campbell explained cheerfully. “There’s countless numbers of fractions I can go to.”

One of the best things about attending events like these is catching up on the gossip. Warren reports that Joey W. Hill, a Brunswick alumna who writes erotic romances (“Unlaced,” “The Mark of the Vampire Queen,” “A Mermaid’s Ransom,” etc.) has a six-book deal with Berkley. Her latest title, “Vampire Mistress,” is due out from Berkley on May 4.

Richard Triebe, who’s written historical novels about Civil War blockade running (“On a Rising Tide”) and piracy in the Caribbean (“Port Royal”), says he’s working on a non-fiction project, tracing what happened to the Confederate soldiers and marines at Fort Fisher after the fort surrendered. This one might be in print by the end of the year.

The prolific Christy Judah (“Legends of Brunswick County,” “Two Faces of Dixie,” “Meet the Police Dogs,” etc., etc.) has a new project in the works — a manual on how to launch and manage a search-and-rescue team. (Since she’s a veteran from Brunswick Search and Rescue, she knows a little bit about the topic.)

Judah is also promoting her mini-press, Coastal Books, as a lower-cost alternative to subsidy publishing for first-time and local authors. (For details, visit www.christyjudah.com.) Among the authors Coastal Books is currently handling are Edith Edwards (“From Hallowed Ground”), Juliana Morgan (“Buddy Gets a Second Chance”) and Joyce Jacobs (“Trailer Park Brats,” “Laura Ann & Me”).

Another Coastal Books author is Larry Maisal, the “As I See It” columnist for the Southport Pilot, who co-authored “Lelia Jane” with the late, great Susie Carson. His next book is due out in May: “Before We Were Quaint, The Southport Few Remember … And Others Can’t Imagine.” It will officially be released under the imprint of the Southport Historical Society. I looked over a proof copy, and it’s full of details about life in the 1700s and 1800s (back when Southport went by the name of Smithville), on blockade running, hurricanes and the old menhaden-fishing industry.For details on ordering, phone 457-6222 or email Southporthistory@yahoo.com.

Tom Reiber passed along a copy of his suspense thriller, “The Nine Irony,” starring Nick Thomas, a sleuthing mystery writer and reformed alcoholic. This one will be launching a series; for details see www.nickthomasmysteries.com.

As for the Writers’ Forum, their next event will be a roundtable luncheon May 17 at Applebee’s in Leland (the one by the Wal-Mart, Judah explained). Jack Fryar of Dram Tree Books will be addressing the next formal Forum session on July 18 — a meeting that will also include a discussion on marketing one’s self-published books. For more information, or to get on the mailing list, email christyjudah@christyjudah.com.

What a nice Sunday afternoon. We enjoyed hearing from all the writers, trials, tribulations and publishings. My thought was to write a bio for my children. Ben it was a delight to spend the afternoon with you. The amount of reading you do in order to put out a column every week is tremendous.

About This Blog

This is an emporium for all things literary: occasional book reviews, local book news, items about authors (mostly from the Cape Fear area but occasional visitors) and miscellaneous rants.

The usual author is Ben Steelman, feature writer and book columnist for the Star-News. He’s that shaggy, slightly smelly character you spot lurking in the back aisles of your local bookstore. Physically, he has more than a passing resemblance to Ignatius J. Reilly, hero of John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces” — some observers have noted other parallels as well.